Chronic disease

Flu :: Most flu shot plans do not address how to vaccinate hard-to-reach populations

Most flu immunization plans in the United States do not address how to vaccinate hard-to-reach populations — undocumented immigrants, substance users, the homeless, homebound elderly, and minorities — and this potentially dangerous omission can lead masses of people to become ill during an outbreak of pandemic flu or other contagious disease, according to a new study by the New York Academy of Medicine in the current issue of the Journal of Urban Health.

Healthcare :: Health reform bills could improve quality and efficiency, but fall short of national plan

Several health reform bills before Congress could lead to significant improvements in health care quality and efficiency, but they fall short of an overarching, coordinated plan that would create a better overall health care system for the country, according to an analysis released today by the Commonwealth Fund and prepared for the Commonwealth Fund Commission on a High Performance Health System.

Diabetes :: Top-10 comparison of diabetes drugs give metformin top grade

A type 2 diabetes drug taken orally and in widespread use for more than a decade has been found to have distinct advantages over nine other, mostly newer medications used to control the chronic disease, according to a study by researchers at Johns Hopkins.

Health :: Poor health literacy associated with increased mortality in the elderly

Older adults who cannot read and understand basic health information appear to have increased mortality rates over a five-year period than those with adequate health literacy, according to a report in the July 23 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

Diabetes :: Most diabetes drugs provide similar glucose control

Most oral medications prescribed for type 2 diabetes are similarly effective for reducing blood glucose, but the drug metformin is less likely to cause weight gain and may be more likely than other treatments to decrease so-called bad cholesterol, according to a report funded by the Department of Health & Human Services’s (HHS) Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).

Diabetes :: Selenium supplements may increase the risk of type 2 diabetes

Selenium, an antioxidant included in multivitamin tablets thought to have a possible protective effect against the development of type 2 diabetes, may actually increase the risk of developing the disease, an analysis by researchers at the University at Buffalo has shown.